Material spreader for confined areas



Se t. 26, 1961 H. J. DONELSON, JR 3,001,465

MATERIAL SPREADER FOR CONFINED AREAS Filed Nov. 8, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I M Al ii 31 MP1 (I; DOIVEZS'O/V J48 Sept. 26, 1961 H. J. DONELSON, JR

MATERIAL SPREADER FOR CONFINED AREAS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 8, 1960 ttes This invention relates to a material spreading means and more particularly to a self-propelled spreader that will evenly and uniformly deposit material such as kernels of corn, silage, beans and the like in closed storage space areas such as granaries, silos and the like.

The desirability of uniform density of materials in these storage areas has only become knowingly critical in rather recent times. The necessity became apparent with the new type of granaries wherein the material was aerated and/or dry heated as it flowed into the storage housing. The air or heated air is passed through the granary from bottom to top. It is the custom to pour the grain or the like through a spout into the granary from its top. The grain will first pile up in the bottom central area of the storage space and therefore will be much more dense or compact in such poured area than that of the surrounding area. This means that in the drying phase, the surrounding area will be successfully treated while the compacted area will not. It is because of this problem that one or two workers with shovels must be in the granary and shovel and move the grain or the like around during the time it is being poured into the top of the granary. Obviously, such Work is most difiicult as it is under heat and dust conditions.

Therefore one of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a self-propelled means that will successfully, uniformly and evenly spread grain or the like into a granary or the like during the placement of the material into such storage space.

More specifically the object of this invention is to provide a scatter means for granaries and the like that is actuated by air passing upwardly through the granary at the time the material is being poured into the top of the granary.

A further object of this invention is to provide a selfpropelled scatter means for granaries that is speed controlled by merely adjustably opening the door in the upper portion of the granary.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a scatter means for use when pouring material into a storage area that eliminates the need of workmen within the storage area during the pouring phase.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a material scattering means for granaries that makes possiblethe chaff, dirt and the like cleaning of the material as it is deposited in the storage area.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a material spreader for confined areas that is economical in manufacture and durable in use.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is aside view of my device installed and in use;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the de- -vice and more fully illustrates its construction;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top view of the grain engaging unit taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged bottom view of the air propelled portion taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

atenr FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of one of the material engaging bars taken on line 55 of FIG. 3.

In the drawings I have used the numeral 10 to designate an ordinary granary having the usual conical top 11 and top opening 12. The numeral 13 designates a hinge door in the upper portion of the granary. In the bottom of the granary is a compartment 15 having perforations 16 in its top and communicating with the inside main area of the granary. The numeral 17 designates a conduit having one end communicating with the compartment 15 and its other end adapted to be in communication with a source of hot air under pressure. Such granaries are in universal use and it is to such that I install my spreader and which I will now describe in detail.

The numeral 10 designates a funnel member adapted to be mounted in the opening 12 of the granary and to receive material such as grain 20 from the conveyor pipe or like 21 as shown in FIG. 1. This funnel portion- 19 is of a diameter less than that of the diameter of the opening 12 and may be secured in a dead center position within the opening 12. by any suitable means. In the drawings I show hook arm members 22 extending radially outwardly from the funnel 19 and engaging the top rim of the opening 12. Adjustable clamping fingers 23 are adjustably slidably secured on the under side of the arms 22 for engaging and clamping onto the inner wall of the opening 12 and are adjustably held in place by a bolt means 25. By this construction air may flow out of the bin between the funnel portion 19 and the opening 12. In the lower end of the funnel 19 is a vertical bearing member 26 supported by the bracket arms 27. Slidably and rotatably extending through the bearing 26 is a vertical shaft 29. The numeral 30 designates a collar slidably embracing the shaft 29 and positioned directly above the bearing 26. This collar 30 is rigidly secured in its adjustable position on the shaft 29 by a set screw 31. The numeral 32 designates an adjustable material plate on the upper end portion of the shaft 29. This adjustable material feeding plate is inside the funnel member 19 and is held in its adjusted position by the set screw 33. The numeral 35 designates a collar ring rigidly secured to the shaft 29 below the bearing 26 by bracket arms 36 as shown in FIG. 4. Radially extending outwardly from the collar ring 35 are a plurality of spaced apart air vanes 37. These air vanes each have their widths at an angle to the vertical and extend outwardly and upwardly from the ring collar 35. Also each of the vanes 37 increase in width as they extend outwardly and the outer marginal edge of each of the vanes extends downwardly and outwardly to complement and be closely adjacent to the inner side of the cone top 11 of the granary as shown in FIG. 1. To further prevent undesirable air passage between the outer marginal edges of the vanes 37 and the inside top of the granary I have provided a baflie ring 39 on the inner side of the granary and directly below the outer edge areas of the vanes 37. The numeral 40 designates a bearing vertically slidably adjustable on the lower end portion of the shaft 29. The numeral 41 designates a set screw for securing the bearing 40 in the desired position on the shaft 2?. The numeral 42 designates a horizontal plate secured to the bearing 40. This plate 42 is spaced apart from, is directly below and has a diameter greater than that of the diameter of the ring collar 35. The ring collar 35 has a diameter greater than that of the diameter of the lower end of the funnel 19 and extends upwardly to a horizontal plane slightly above the lower horizontal plane of the funnel 19. The numeral 43 deisgnates a plurality of material engaging bar vanes: adjustably secured on the upper surface of the plate 42 as shown in FIG. 3. Any suitable means may be used for adjustably securing these bar vanes 43 and I show a series of holes in the bar vanes and plate 42 through which bolts 44 are passed. The adjustable positions of these material engaging bar vanes 43 is important. In order that the material will be successfully evenly scattered into the granary some of these bar vanes 43 extend radially outwardly further from the plate 42 than other of these bar vanes as shown in FIG. 3'.

The practical operation of the device is as follows:

I With my device installed as herebefore described, the material 29 will be dropped into the funnel 1-9 from which the material will pass downwardly past the bearing 26, through the bracket arms 36 and onto the plate 42 with air or hot air passing'upwardly from the compartment 15, the same will be directed outwardly by the plate 42 and into and through the air vanes 37. Ohviousl'y this movement of air through the air vanes 37 will cause the same to windmill thereby rotating the collar ring 35 and thus rotating the shaft 29 and plate 42. From the air vanes 37 the air will pass out of the top of the granary as shown by arrows in FIG. 1. This passage of air, however, not only automatically rotates the plate 42 and its material engaging bar vanes 43, but carries with it undesirable chaff, dirt and like 46. This automatic cleaning of the grain or like, by removing the objectionable material out through the upper end of the granary is most desirable. With the plate '42 rotating the grain or like falling onto the top of the plate 42 will be cast outwardly by the vane bars 43 and successfully and evenly spread into the granary as shown in FIG. 1. From the foregoing it will be appreciated that my device is self-propelled and accomplishes two purposes, i.e., the proper spreading of the grain or like and also the removal of undesirable foreign matter from the grain being placed in the granary. Different materials will require different adjustment. The plate 32 regulates and controls the grain or like passing through the device and the vertical adjustment of this plate 32 will therefore be necessary depending on the type of material being fed into the granary. Also as before noted the plate 42 may be vertically adjustably positioned on the lower end of the shaft 29. Inasmuch as my device is self-propelled, it may become necessary for different materials to regulate its rotary speed. This is easily accomplished by the positioning of the side door 13. The further the door 13 is opened, the greater will be theescape of air therethrough and, therefore, the slower the speed of rotation of the wind vanes 37. This door 13 may be held in any position of its swinging movement by any suitable means such as a rope. In FIG. 1 I show a piece of wood or like '45 for holding the door in a pre-determined position. Different thicknesses of the member 45 may be used to obtain the desired opening. To prevent the door 13 from being completely blown open a rope 47 may be used to secure it in the adjusted position. If desired, a strengthening and air guiding ring collar may be secured to and embrace the outer marginal edges of the air vanes. i

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my material spreader for confined areas without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In combination, a building having a top opening and a source of air pressure in its bottom area, a material receiving unit having an open bottom in the top opening of said building and of a diameter less than that of the diameter of the top opening in said building, a vertical bearing means supported in the lower central area of said material receiving unit, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing, a material scattering plate secured to the lower end portion of said shaft, and a plurality of air vanes operatively secured to said shaft and capable of being rotated by the upward movement of air within said building.

2. In combination, a building having a top opening and a source of air pressure in its bottom area, a material receiving unit having an open bottom in the top opening of said building and of a diameter less than that of the diameter of the top opening in said building, a vertical bearing means supported in the central area of said material receiving unit, a vertical shaft rotatably and slidably adjustably mounted in said bearing, a material scatter-ing plate secured to the lower end portion of said shaft, and a plurality of air vanes operatively secured to' said shaft and capable of being rotated by the upward movement of air within said building.

3. In combination, a building having a top opening and a source of air pressure in its bottom area, a material receiving unit having an open bottom in the top opening of said building and of a diameter less than that of the diameter of the top opening in said building, a vertical bearing means supported in the central area of said material receiving unit, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing, a material scattering plate having radially extending bar vanes secured to the lower end portion of said shaft, and a plurality of air vanes operatively secured to said shaft and capable of being rotated by the upward movement of air within said building.

4. In combination, a building having a top opening and a source of air pressure in its bottom area, a material receiving unit having an open bottom in the top opening of said building and of a diameter less than that of the diameter of the top opening in said building, a vertical bearing means supported in the central area of said material receiving unit, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing, a material scattering plate having radially extending bar vanes secured to therlo wer end portion of said shaft, and a plurality of air vanes operatively secured to said shaft and capable of being rotated by the upward movement of air within said building; at least one of said radially extending bar vanes extending radially beyond said plate for a distance greater than that of the distance another bar vane extends radially beyond said plate.

5. In combination, a building having atop opening and a source of air pressure in its bottom area, a material receiving unit having an open bottom in the top opening of said building and of a diameter less than that of the diameter of the top opening in said building, a vertical bearing means supported in the central area of said material receiving unit, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing, a material scattering plate secured to the lower end portion of said shaft, and a plurality of air vanes operatively secured to said shaft, above said plate, and capable of being rotated by the upward movement of air Within said building.

6. In combination, a building having a top opening and a source of air pressure in its bottom area, a material receiving unit having an open bottom in the top opening of said building and of a diameter less than that of the diameter of the top opening in said building, a vertical bearing means supported in the central area of said material receiving unit, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing, a material scattering plate secured to the lower end portion of said shaft, a plurality of air vanes operatively secured to said shaft and capable of being rotated by the upward movement of air within said building, and a door in the upper portion of said building for controlling the volume of air moving past said air vanes.

7. In combination, a building having a top opening and a source of air pressure in its bottom area, a material receiving unit having an open bottom in the top opening of said building and of a diameter less than that of the diameter of the top opening in said building, a vertical bearing means supported in the central area of said material receiving unit, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing, a material scattering plate secured to the lower end portion of said shaft, and a plurality of air vanes operatively secured to said shaft and capable of being rotated by the upward movement of air within said building; said air vanes extending upwardly and away from said shaft and each air vane increasing in width as it extends outwardly.

8. In combination, a building having a top opening and a source of air pressure in its bottom area, a material receiving unit having an open bottom in the top opening of said building and of a diameter less than that of the diameter of the top opening in said building, a vertical bearing means supported in the central area of said material receiving unit, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing, a material scattering plate secured to the lower end portion of said shaft, a ring collar, means for securing said ring collar in spaced relationship around said shaft, and a plurality of air vanes extending radially from said ring collar; said ring collar having a diameter less than that of the diameter of said plate and a diameter greater than that of the diameter of the lower open bottom of said material receiving unit.

9. In combination, a building having a top opening and a source of air pressure in its bottom area, a tunnelshaped material receiving unit having an open bottom in the top opening of said building and of a diameter less than that of the diameter of the top opening in said building, a vertical bearing means supported in the central area of said material receiving unit, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing, a material scattering plate secured to the lower end portion of said shaft, and a plurality of air vanes operatively secured to said shaft and capable of being rotated by the upward movement of air within said building.

10. In combination, a building having a cone-shaped top, a top opening and a source of air pressure in its bottom area, a material receiving unit having an open bottom in the top opening of said building and of a diameter less than that of the diameter of the top opening in said building, a vertical bearing means supported in the central area of said material receiving unit, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing, a material scattering plate secured to the lower end portion of said shaft, a plurality of air vanes operatively secured to said shaft and capable of being rotated by the upward movement of air within said building; said air vanes each having its outer end adjacent the inside of the cone-shaped top of said building with each of said air vanes having its outer edge extending downwardly and outwardly, and a bafiie ring secured on the inside of said building and extending under the outer edge portions of said air vanes.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,729,341 Johnson Sept. 24, 1929 1,981,433 Shodron Nov. 20, 1934 Anderson Aug. 26, 1960 

